Two hurricanes in the Atlantic

Tropical wave leaves Cayman wet

Hurricane Julia formed early Tuesday morning in the distant Atlantic Ocean as Hurricane Igor finally made the northwest turn expected by forecasters.

As the storms were building the Cayman Islands had its eye on a tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea that dumped less than an inch of rain on Grand Cayman.

Forecasters say the wave has become more organised and could grow into a tropical storm before it reaches the Yucatan Peninsula Wednesday or Thursday.

The wave stayed well to the south of Grand Cayman, bringing only small gusts of wind, cloudiness and intermittent rain showers.

A hurricane hunter aircraft was scheduled to explore the wave Tuesday.

Tracking models projected that the system will continue west toward the Yucatan Peninsula.

A number of the computer models that predicted intensity showed the wave growing into a tropical storm by Wednesday or Thursday as it approaches land. Some models have it reaching hurricane strength Friday or Saturday after crossing the Yucatan and emerging in the southwest Gulf of Mexico before again approaching Mexico.

The next storm will be named Karl.

Julia, the season’s fifth hurricane, had winds of 85 mph. It was expected to grow slightly stronger the next few days before venturing over cooler water.

Julia should peak at about 90 mph by Wednesday or Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said. After that, Julia should slowly weaken over cooler water as wind flowing off the top of Igor saps some of its strength.

Julia was not expected to come close to land.

Tuesday morning, Julia was about 335 miles west northwest of the Cape Verde Islands on a west-northwest track at 10 mph.

Igor, meanwhile, continued to be a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 135 mph winds and appeared to be taking aim on Bermuda. Forecasters called for Igor to weaken slightly as it approached the island with winds of about 100 mph by Sunday morning.

Tuesday morning, Igor was about 710 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands moving to the west- northwest at 7 mph.

Forecasters had been calling for Igor to curve from its westerly track and start taking a more northerly path into the northern Atlantic, staying well away from the United States.

Despite seven storms forming in the Atlantic since the beginning of August, only one became a threat to the US coast. Hurricane Earl raked close to the East Coast, but its most dangerous winds stayed offshore.

The storms are moving between an area of high pressure in the eastern Atlantic and low pressure jutting from the US coast. Storms have moved through the area in the middle of the ocean, where the high and low pressure areas meet.

Normally the high pressure area is centred farther to the west, roughly over Bermuda, giving it the name Bermuda High. The typical more westerly location guides storms closer to the United States.

This season, the high pressure area is closer to the Azores, Florida state meteorologist Amy Godsey said.